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Watching The Weather When Your Tennis Match Is Weathered In

There’s nothing more disappointing than getting rained out of a good tennis match. In Newfoundland and Labrador, this is a more common occurrence than you think, especially since the coming fall season has brought us more rain than cool weather with radiant sunshine.

Although there are always indoor tennis courts, a lot of people might not have access to an indoor tennis court in Newfoundland and Labrador. Playing tennis outside and underneath a good amount of sunshine is just, well, exhilarating, too. Tennis, although adaptable inside, is at its best as an outdoor sport, where the courts give players plenty of space to work on and play off one another.

Now, it’s common to play tennis through windy day in Newfoundland and Labrador. You can even bear the summer heat in a tennis match when it’s intense. Rain showers and storms, however, actually postpone tennis matches when they’re happening.

The aforementioned dry weather conditions don’t exactly affect how the match itself plays out. Rain on a tennis court is actually considered a major safety hazard—not only to the integrity of the game, but the health of the players.

Concrete based courts can become slippery in the rain, while grassy and clay courts can become too soft for play when submerged in rain water. Even the anticipation of a rain shower or storm can ruin a player’s mental condition to the point of stopping them from winning the match—that they were going to win.

So, is there a way to prevent rainy weather from getting the best of us mid-match? Here, we’re going to take a look at several ways you can avoid getting discouraged from the weather and actually finish your match in one piece.

Weathering the weather in a tennis match

Many tennis players grow antsy at the notion of having to postpone their tennis match if it’s predicted to rain that day. On some occasions, the rain stops before they’re due to go on, just in time for them to play their match. Sometimes, the rain starts when they’re actually in the middle of a scheduled match—when this happens, it can make even the best players get nervous.

Many tennis experts, however, suggest that you shouldn’t ever leave the court when it starts raining. In fact, many league-sanctioned matches will wait for the storm to pass before continuing after the rain stops. After all, if you were in a league-sanctioned match, would you leave right in the middle because of rain?

Most people wouldn’t, despite the rain happening. Most good players also avoid letting the rain affect their mental game. If your mental game isn’t ‘on,’ you won’t be able to concentrate when it’s time to head back out on the court.

Rain delays also give players the opportunity to rest up a bit and get reinvigorated before finishing the match. So, how do players become more reinvigorated during a rain delay? Many players take the time to:

Rehydrate themselves. You can always do this by drinking water. Staying hydrated prevents yourself from themselves from expending too much energy and potentially getting injured.

Stretch enough to stay loose during the delay. Stretching helps prevent your muscles and joints from stiffening up before you return to regular play. Many players target their legs and shoulders when stretching, and also do ‘shadow’ tennis strokes to keep the arms loose.

Think about the game. Thinking about the game can help you stay focused on finishing the game. Visualize what you want to do and look back at your previous plays to improve your playing once you get back to the game. Don’t think about how bad the weather is—think about the match itself!

Relax and rest easy. Even though it’s good to stay in the game, there’s nothing wrong with taking a rest to restore your lost energy. Just lounging around in a relatively quiet place, after stretching, is good enough to get the rest you need.

Rain delays are a natural part of weathering tennis matches throughout the year. So, don’t let yourself get too upset if it ever happens to you.

Newfoundland and Labrador might be prone to rainy weather during the tennis season, but doesn’t automatically mean it’s time to stop playing. Keep your head in the game and you’ll be able to easily finish out your rained-in tennis match with no problem.